Cross channel in-vehicle media consumption measurement and analysis

ABSTRACT

The invention provides a novel and unique system and method for cross channel in-vehicle identification of media, source, and advertisement consumption measurement and analysis. Real-time measurement and analysis of all applicable forms of media that a driver or passenger may consume inside of an automobile can be achieved. This includes real time measurement and analysis of advertisement effectiveness for a large number of users across a specified region.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation-in-part of and claims priority fromearlier filed U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/872,497, filed Oct. 1,2015, which claims benefit to provisional patent application Ser. No.62/059,420, filed Oct. 3, 2014, and the entire contents thereof areincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to a system for real-time monitoring ofthe use of media content in a vehicle, via software installed in thehead unit of a vehicle.

Research studies in the media industry typically, and consistently,indicate that more than 50% of radio listening is done in a vehicle,such as a car, and further that more than 50% of all audio listeningoccurs in such a vehicle. However, today there does not exist anyability to actually measure and effectively analyze what people arereally listening to, or watching, while in a vehicle.

Measurement and analysis of people media consumption while in a vehicleis important to multiple stakeholders, such as: 1) radio (and othercontent) advertising businesses to support the buying/selling andpricing of advertising (the US market for radio advertising alone beingvalued at $17 billion in 2013); 2) radio station owners and programmingmanagers to guide their selection of programming and on-air talent; 3)the music industry to gauge public reaction to artists and their work;4) the automotive industry to understand the behavior of their customerswhile in their vehicles; 5) and any other entity that may be interestedin the measurement and analysis of such media consumption.

There have been many attempts in the prior art to generate estimates ofthe use of in-vehicle audio content. For example, Nielsen Audio,previously Arbitron, provides a service to estimate the audience ofAM/FM radio stations, which is primarily based on periodic surveymethodologies using samples. These include use of log book/diaries,which are manually filled out by a limited sample of selectedparticipants, and the use of specialized devices such as Nielsen's“Portable People Meter” or PPM. A PPM is a small device worn or carriedby selected participants which identifies any AM/FM radio stations inearshot of the participant from identification signals embedded in eachindividual radio station broadcast. Other approaches have involved theuse of expensive specialized measurement equipment added to a samplenumber of vehicles.

However, these existing prior art methods have many disadvantages andproblems. As a result, these estimation methodologies are considered tobe outdated and inadequate to meet the current needs of stakeholdersbecause they, for example, suffer from: 1) small participant samplesize; 2) high cost of gathering data in this manner; 3) potential forthe statistical integrity of the approach to be compromised (whetherunintentionally or fraudulently) by the participants; 4) infrequentperiodic timing (only several times per year) with significant lag timebetween survey and report availability, thus not providing the potentialfor real-time monitoring and analysis desired by the industry; 5) lackof ability to comparatively measure “cross channel” audio consumption(e.g. AM/FM radio vs. SDARS vs. Internet Radio, etc.); lack of abilityto measure all types of media consumption (e.g. audio, video, etc.)

Despite the foregoing limitations in the methodology used, Nielsen stillgenerated more than $450M from the sale of AM/FM radio measurement datafor the US market in 2013 as no viable alternative rating source data isavailable.

Nielsen utilizes panels of selected participants where they askquestions regarding audio usage and then extrapolates to the population.Nielsen also utilizes a PPM (portable people meter) which is a smallmetering device that is carried by a small group of people which listensto what audio is around them and can identify what stations are playingbased on code that is, embedded in a station's broadcast, to measure FMand AM radio. This too is a sample.

As another prior art example, Triton Digital measures Internet radiolistening utilizing server logs for each station/channel. Typically,each individual channel has access to this information as well fromtheir content delivery network.

In a further example, SIRIUS XM is not able to measure what channels itssubscribers are listening to as it is primarily a one-way broadcast viasatellites.

In view of the above, there is currently no comprehensive source of datafor the accurate measurement of the full spectrum of media content thatis actually consumed in an automobile. The currently available estimatesof in-vehicle audio listening are deficient in many ways, including: 1)Not real-time or near real-time (surveys conducted only several timesper year with considerable lag time before reports are available); 2) Donot cover all potential media sources (e.g. can estimate AM/FM radio butcan not estimate SDARS, internet radio, stored media, streaming media,etc.); 3) Unable to provide “cross-channel” comparison (e.g. between FM& SDARS); 4) Unable to measure content brought in to the vehicle via aconnected MP3 player, DVD/Blu-ray player, smartphone or other ConsumerElectronic (CE) device; 5) Survey-based methodology (rather than actualmeasurement); 6) Small survey participant sample size; 7) Significantvulnerability to bias and fraud; 8) High cost of data collection (boththe high cost of administering the survey participants and the high costof specialized monitoring equipment such as Nielsen's PPM device); 9)Provide minimal geographic location information.

The clear industry requirement, not met by any existing system, is for acomprehensive capability that measures all forms of media consumed inthe vehicle including, but not limited to, terrestrial AM/FM, HD Radio,SDARS (SIRIUS XM), Internet radio and audio/video streaming services(e.g. PANDORA, TUNEIN, SPOTIFY, RDIO, SONGZA, YOUTUBE, etc.), personalmedia collection (CD, MP3, podcast, DVD, Blu-ray, etc.), audio books,podcasts, text-to-speech, use of hands-free calling and other audio,including content routed to the In Vehicle Entertainment (IVE) systemthrough integration with a smartphone, MP3 player or similar external CEdevice (via wired or wireless connectivity, including but not limited toUSB, BLUETOOTH, Wi-Fi, etc. and including various platforms forin-vehicle smartphone integration such as APPLE CARPLAY, GOOGLE ANDROIDAUTO, HARMAN AHA RADIO, PANASONIC AUPEO, PIONEER ZYPR, FORD SYNC,MIRRORLINK, AIRBIQUITY CHOREO, etc.).

Another clear requirement, which is not met by any existing system isthe need to facilitate low-cost, large-scale deployment to supportmeasurement from a large user sample to ensure a high level ofstatistical integrity and accuracy. Existing approaches using a)survey-based methodologies or b) methodologies requiring specializedequipment that needs to be installed in a vehicle do not provide thepotential to meet this objective in a viable and cost-effective manner.

To meet industry expectation, there is a need for an optimum system tobe able to continuously provide measurement data in real-time and with ahigh degree of geographic location accuracy. A large sample size, asidentified above, is also a pre-requisite of achieving this requirement.

Still further, having developed a system and methodology to actuallymeasure the media content consumed in a vehicle, there is also a demandfor a differentiation between multiple users of the vehicle (e.g.members of the same family). This includes contextual analysis of howmedia consumption may differ with situation (e.g. a mother or father mayprimarily listen to adult news and music content during their commutewhile alone in the car but might listen to kids channels whenever theirchildren are in the car).

In still other embodiments, the system and methodology are configuredfor the use of the analysis of advertising and its effectiveness. Theinvention may be used to determine the return on investment for anadvertiser (or its ad agency) on its advertising campaign as well as theadvertising campaign's effectiveness. Ad attribution metrics, measuringwhether consumers engaged in the desired behavior due to hearing orseeing an ad played in a vehicle, is one such application of theinvention. Assessing whether the consumer drove to the advertiser'sstore or accessed the advertiser's website due to hearing or seeing anad utilizing a vehicles geographic location is a basis for advertisersand ad agencies to measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign.The geographic location and exact time stamp of content such as an adcan be derived from the invention and may be cross referenced with datafrom programming logs of audio sources such as AM/FM radio stations,internet radio channels and satellite radio channels or metadata derivedfrom the invention. The number of store visits generated by vehiclesexposed to the ad is compared to visits for vehicles not exposed to thead thus deriving ad effectiveness or an advertising lift metric. Areturn on investment of an advertising campaign is computed by comparingthe cost of the advertising campaign relative to the number of storevisits, and by calculating the total monetary value of what the vehicleowner or driver actually spent at the store as a result of theadvertising heard in the vehicle. Examining the impact of advertisingdelivered to a vehicle may include but not be limited to: (i) the impactof different ad creative copy, content, ad length and other ad factorson vehicle/consumer behavior (ii) impact on different demographic groupsof vehicle owners and drivers, (iii) impact based on prior vehiclebehavior and advertiser brand preferences, (iv) determining whether anad was heard or seen in a vehicle, (v) real time analysis, tracking andad delivery, (vi) segmenting vehicles based on prior behavior.

The foregoing attempts in the prior art fail to meet the needs of theindustry. There exists significant industry demand, from thestakeholders identified above, for a more comprehensive in-vehicle mediaconsumption measurement system that can provide greater accuracy, finergranularity and real-time measurement/analysis of media contentconsumption across all applicable sources—such a system does not existtoday.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention preserves the advantages of prior art monitoring,listening and reporting systems and methods for cross channel in carmedia. In addition, it provides new advantages not found in currentlyavailable systems and methods and overcomes many disadvantages of suchcurrently available systems and methods.

The invention is generally directed to the novel and unique system andmethod for cross channel in car media consumption measurement andanalysis.

The invention meets the above-identified needs by providing a system,apparatus, method and computer software for obtaining, measuring andanalyzing in real-time (or on such other basis that can be configured)all forms of media content that a driver or passenger may consume insideof an automobile. This includes, but is not limited to, AM/FM radio,Satellite Digital Audio Radio Service (SDARS), stored media such as CDs,MP3s, DVDs, MP4s and other compressed, lossless or other contentdelivery CODEC's, content streaming, internet radio, audio books,podcasts, text-to-speech content and other forms of content, includingcontent routed to the In Vehicle Entertainment (IVE) system throughintegration with a smartphone, MP3 player, DVD/Blu-ray player, gameconsole or other similar external Consumer Electronic (CE) device (viawired or wireless connectivity, including but not limited to a digitalor analog connection e.g., USB, BLUETOOTH, Wi-Fi, etc.).

Of particular significance is the invention's ability to measure “crosschannel” in-vehicle media consumption consistently and comparativelyacross multiple content types and sources (e.g. AM/FM radio, SDARS,internet radio, stored media, etc.).

Also, of note is the invention's ability to provide not only betterinformation on what content is being consumed, but incrementalcontextual information on how listeners respond to this content (such aschanging station or skipping forward when they don't like what isplaying, turning up the volume on favorite tracks, thumbs up, driving toa store, etc.). This incremental contextual information on how listenersrespond to content for the first time provides the potential for a“feedback loop” to the creators/programmers of the applicable content(for example, allowing AM/FM radio stations to better understand howlisteners respond to their broadcast, thus allowing them to enhancetheir programming to better meet their listener's preferences). Thefeedback loop can additionally include the ability to measure, aggregateand analyze responses to advertising by measuring vehicle visits to astore for vehicles that heard/viewed an ad played as compared to thosevehicles that did not hear/view an ad.

Another key factor is the invention's ability to measure in-vehiclemedia consumption using a much larger sample size than ever beforecontemplated due to the architectural approach that fully supportslow-cost, large-scale deployment in millions of vehicles. Thiscapability can support the evaluation of media promotion efforts, suchas advertising campaigns, where sufficiently large numbers of actualvehicle occupant operations may be measured. Those vehicle occupantoperations can include a driver deviating from their customary route tovisit a store or business which recently advertised via the in-vehiclemedia unit. The scale provided by the system supports these evaluationsacross multiple media markets enabling comparisons of such mediacampaigns based on differing media market demographics, reach, andvehicle occupant characteristics.

Also important is the invention's ability to provide real-time dynamicmeasurement of in-vehicle media consumption (compared to the extensivelag time between survey and report of the existing methodologies). Insome embodiments this may include a calculation of a time period fromreception of an advertisement in a vehicle by the vehicle's occupants ata location to the time that vehicle's location matches the location of astore offering the advertised products or services.

The measurement data and analysis from the invention may be provided toauto manufacturing companies, providers of media content (includingthose available currently and others that may be available in thefuture), advertising companies, platforms and agencies, the musicindustry and other interested parties.

In many use cases, those receiving the information are looking tounderstand the effectiveness of their content and/or systems thatdeliver that content. In this manner, a content provider may be providedwith reports informing them of vehicle occupants use of their content,for example in response to advertising or to a song or radio program.

The objective of the invention is to measure all applicable forms ofmedia consumption in an automobile. This consumption will representactual measured data rather than survey data (which is the only dataavailable today). This degree of attribution of a vehicle occupant to anexperience within the vehicle has hitherto not been available, withtime, location, and content forming a combination that can support setsof industry standardized measurements of effectiveness of the consumedmedia.

Actual measurement and analysis of what media people consume while in avehicle is important to multiple stakeholders, who are currentlyunder-served by existing measurement services based on surveymethodologies, including (but not limited to: 1) radio (and othercontent) advertising businesses to support the buying/selling andpricing of content advertising (the US market for radio advertisingalone being valued at $17 billion in 2013); 2) radio station owners andprogramming managers to guide their selection of programming and on-airtalent; 3) the music industry to gauge public reaction to artists andtheir work; 4) the automotive industry to understand the behavior oftheir customers; and 5) and any other entity that may be interested inthe measurement and analysis of such media consumption.

The invention has been developed to provide a new level of in-vehiclemedia consumption measurement capability achieving the followingobjectives:

-   -   1. A substantially higher level of accuracy and granularity by        using actual data measurement from a large sample population        (rather than survey measurement from a small sample).    -   2. Provide an approach that makes large sample measurement        viable by significantly reducing the per-vehicle installation        and operational cost, and thus allowing widespread deployment in        millions of vehicles.    -   3. Provide the ability for real-time measurement and analysis,        to meet the industry requirement for dynamic data.    -   4. Provide the ability to measure content from multiple sources        in a consistent and comparable way (to include broadcast        services such as AM/FM radio and SDARS, personalized services        such as PANDORA, IHEART RADIO, etc., stored media content such        as CD, MP3 and DVD/Blu-ray players and content sourced from a        connected CE device (including various platforms for in-vehicle        smartphone integration such as APPLE CARPLAY, GOOGLE ANDROID        AUTO, HARMAN AHA RADIO, PANASONIC AUPEO, PIONEER ZYPR, FORD        SYNC, MIRRORLINK, AIRBIQUITY CHOREO, etc.).    -   5. Provide more detailed metadata relating to what is actually        consumed (such as song title, artist name, advertisement, etc.).        Such metadata may be achieved both through direct collection in        the IVE and also through timestamp matching of the media source        (e.g. a particular satellite radio channel) with a play list of        the same content source captured separately.    -   6. Provide contextual data relating to the user's consumption        behavior (such as turning up the volume during a favorite song,        changing channel when the DJ is annoying, etc.)    -   7. Support analysis of different consumption habits in vehicles        when used by different people (e.g. members of the same family)        and in different situations (e.g. commuting alone vs. a weekend        family road trip).    -   8. Allow determination of vehicle user demographics by merging        and cross-referencing available, known data (such as vehicle VIN        and vehicle owner information) with other sources of third-party        data (such as cell phone UDID, MAC address, and user data) to        provide more comprehensive analysis of vehicle usage and        operator demographics.    -   9. Provide geographically referenced data to allow a more        complete pattern of user behavior to be determined.    -   10. Provide listening habits in all makes and models of vehicles        and in varying regions and/or media markets of the U.S and        abroad.    -   11. Provide an industry-scale platform with capabilities for,        including but not limited to, such services as verification of        audio ads (including the specific ID of such audio ad) actually        played in vehicles, delivery of personalized audio ads into the        vehicle, ad effectiveness, ad attribution, return on investment        of advertising campaign investment, and other analytics,        currently employed by the advertising industry and new measures        enabled by this system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features which are characteristic of the present invention areset forth in the appended claims. However, the invention's preferredembodiments, together with further objects and attendant advantages,will be best understood by reference to the following detaileddescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an overview of the system of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows details of the IVE head unit implementation of the MCMS ofthe present invention;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing the flow of data between an in-vehicleMCMS and an external server;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing an exemplary embodiment of the method ofoperation of the media content measurement system;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing an example of user interaction with themedia content measurement system;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of the mediacontent measurement system;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing communication between an IVE and athird-party server; and

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a communication between three IVEs anda server.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1-8 of the present invention, it is common today forcontent from many different sources to be consumed in a vehicle, and forthese sources to utilize a multitude of technologies to deliver thecontent into the vehicle (e.g. AM/FM radio, SDARS, stored media players,cellular wireless, BLUETOOTH integration of CE devices, etc.). In orderto effectively and comparatively measure actual media consumption fromany and all of these sources, it is necessary to conduct measurement ata point in the system that has visibility of content played from any andall of these sources. The in-Vehicle Entertainment (IVE) system, alsoknown as the vehicle “head unit” is the only point at which content fromeach and every source can be measured—this is because the IVE controlsall media playback in the vehicle through the built-in amplification,speaker systems and display screens.

IVE vehicle head units are very well known in the industry. They are,essentially, small computing devices of hardware that include storage(e.g. hard drive or solid-state storage), a display, operation controls,a microprocessor, RAM, I/O inputs and outputs and an operating systeminstalled and running thereon. The software of the present invention isinstalled on the head unit in similar fashion to how an application isinstalled on a desktop computer where the code of the software of thepresent invention resides in storage on the head unit and can beexecuted and run, when desired to interact with the head unit andcomponents and devices connected thereto or residing therein. Theconstruction and operation of such head units are so well known in theart that further details need not be provided herein.

Today's IVE systems, currently being designed and installed in vehicles,have sufficient computing hardware and software capability to allowvarious software modules to be run inside the IVE head unit itself, andthe invention utilizes this to run a measurement and monitoring softwaremodule in the IVE head unit itself. This approach offers two keyadvantages over previous methodologies: 1) The software module can havevisibility of the content meta-data (including on-screen meta-data suchas artist name and song title, etc.) for multiple sources eitherbuilt-in or connected to the IVE head unit: 2) The software module canbe built in to the IVE head unit by the vehicle manufacturer, thusproviding a low-cost method to distribute the capability into a verylarge population of vehicles, and eliminating the significant cost ofadding dedicated measurement devices to a vehicle post manufacture.

Referring now to FIG. 1, an overview of the system and method of thepresent invention is shown. Through agreements with automobilemanufacturing companies, and development with the automobilemanufacturers and their IVE Head Unit “Tier 1” vendors, the MediaContent Measurement Software (MCMS) of the present invention is embeddedin the IVE Head Unit 12 (alternate embodiments could include the MCMSrunning in another suitable device in the vehicle 14). The MCMS willrecord, store, and transmit information relative to the mediaconsumption of the vehicle occupants through the IVE System 12. Thisdata will be sent back to a central repository (server 46, datawarehouse or repository 48) via a wireless data network 44 (eitherintegrated directly into the vehicle, or via a suitable connecteddevice). For example, the present invention could use the cellularwireless network for this function through an embedded wireless modem inthe car. Alternatively, any other connectivity system, wireless systemor protocol could be used, such as Wi-Fi, DSRC, satellite, and the like.FIG. 1 shows an I/O port 24 for consumer electronic device integration,for receiving media sources such as internet radio, web-based audiocontent, etc.

This data may include the following data parameters:

-   -   1. Vehicle Identification Parameters: A unique ID for the Data        source (Vehicle), such as the VIN (Vehicle Identification        Number) or alternate    -   2. Vehicle Position Parameters: GPS location data (lat/long)        from the Vehicle's GPS (or equivalent) system    -   3. Vehicle Operation Parameters: Including start time, stop        time, distance travelled, speed, acceleration/deceleration, etc.    -   4. Media Source Identification Parameters (e.g. FM radio, SDARS,        CD/DVD player, integration with external CE device, etc.).    -   5. Listening Parameters: Timestamp data start of listening, end        of listening, etc.    -   6. AM/FM Radio Parameters: tuned frequency, call letters derived        from RDS (Radio Data System), signal strength for selected        station, etc.    -   7 SDARS Parameters: channel identification, etc.    -   8. Connected CE Device Parameters (such as Smartphones, etc.):    -   Service App identifier (e.g. PANDORA, IHEART RADIO, SLACKER,        TUNE-IN, AHA RADIO, etc.), wireless carrier identification,        smartphone model identification, wireless signal strength, etc.    -   9. Smartphone Integration Parameters (such as relating to        integration platforms such as APPLE CARPLAY, GOOGLE ANDROID        AUTO, HARMAN AHA RADIO, PANASONIC AUPEO, PIONEER ZYPR, FORD        SYNC, MIRRORLINK, AIRBIQUITY CHOREO, etc.)    -   10. Unique Identification Parameters for each connected CE        device (such as Smartphones) to permit identification of        multiple different devices used in the same vehicle (e.g.        different smart phone used by family members)—this could be        derived from CE device unique identifier, BLUETOOTH pairing        identification, etc.    -   11. IVE System Operation Parameters relating to the use and        operation of the IVE system by end users to provide analysis and        feed-back to OEM car companies to facilitate IVE design        improvements.    -   12. Vehicle Systems Parameters relating to the driver and        passengers, including identification of which smart key used to        operate the vehicle, drivers seat memory position selected,        number of vehicle occupants (from seat belt sensors), etc.    -   13. Other Vehicle Systems Parameters for other vehicle systems        identified as significantly interesting by partners such as OEM        car companies and other stakeholders    -   14. Content Parameters (for all content sources): content        metadata such as artist name, song title, album, episode, audio        book name and chapter, commercial identifier for adverts,        interstitial identifier for DJ talking, etc.    -   15. Contextual Data Parameters relating to the user's behavior        while listening to the content, including but not limited to: a)        using turning the volume up as a proxy for identifying content        particularly liked by the used; and b) using the timing of when        the user tunes away from the current source to another source to        indicate content which is not liked.    -   16. Advertising Parameters relating to the delivery and        consumption of adverts, whether general or personally targeted        to allow validation of advert delivery and consumption.

Such parameters may be composed into information sets, or parametersets. The information sets may be used to provide substantiation foradvertising attribution. For example, when a location of the vehiclecorresponds to an advertiser's product or service that is available at aphysical location within a determined time period from thatadvertisement being broadcast and received by a vehicle and consumed bythe occupants thereof. These parameter sets may be further used as thebasis for other effectiveness measurements, such as comparing campaignswith differing offers, establish the degree of lift for a specificcampaign in a market area, determining differences in market areas tosimilar campaigns or offers and the like.

Turning now to FIG. 2, a more detailed diagram of the IVE Head Unitimplementation of the MCMS is shown. The system architecture using a)the in-vehicle MCMS and b) the external server with connectivity betweenthem provides maximum flexibility for optimal system management into thefuture. The system architecture includes a user interface 500, the MCMSsoftware 505, an application framework 510, an operating system 515, andhardware components 520 such as a cellular wireless interface, an AM/FMtuner, a SDARS tuner, a CD player, a USB port, a BLUETOOTHtransmitter/receiver.

For example, there would not be a requirement for a continuous dataconnectivity between server and MCMS because the data would preferablybe cached by the MCMS and sent periodically in bursts when connectivityis available.

Also, the control of the individual MCMS in each vehicle is manageddynamically from the server throughout the life of the vehicle,allowing: 1) the amount of data reported out to the server by the MCMSto be dynamically controlled (thus allowing wireless data transportcosts to be managed); 2) the time interval between reporting (e.g. everyminute, every 5 minutes, etc.) to be dynamically controlled; 3) MCMSreporting to be individually stopped and/or started as required fromeach vehicle; and 4) the Data Parameters reported out by MCMS to bedynamically controlled (e.g. the ability to turn on or turn off thevarious data elements individually).

In FIG. 3, the data flow between the in-vehicle MCMS and the externalServer is shown. This external server provides a number of importantfunctions. First, it manages individual communication with multiplicityof individual in-vehicle MCMS modules (expected to scale to manymillions). It also sends control commands to each MCMS providing dynamicmanagement of each individual MCMS functionality (frequency ofreporting, active parameters, etc.). The external server also receivesand de-codes data sent from each MCMS. The data sent from eachin-vehicle MCMS can be sent in periodic bursts (when connectivity isavailable). It builds a database using individual data records receivedfrom the multiplicity of MCMS modules and stores this database in theData Warehouse. The external server also processes the usage data togenerate a variety of reports representing various aggregated usagebehavior as required by stakeholders and also provides data warehousingand data mining operations.

The present invention includes a method and a system for measuring andanalyzing in car media consumption through an in vehicle entertainmentsystem 12 that is operable to selectively play media content, and thatis operable to transmit data to a first server and a data warehouse.

Turning to the exemplary embodiment of the method 100 of the presentinvention shown in FIG. 4, at step 110 an in vehicle entertainmentsystem 12 is provided, either by a vehicle manufacturer or by amanufacturer of an in vehicle entertainment system for installation in avehicle 14. Media content measurement software 505 is installed on thein vehicle entertainment system 12 at step 120. The operation of themedia content measurement software 505 is discussed in more detailherein.

The user plays media content through the in vehicle entertainment systemat step 130.

At step 140, in real time, the content measurement software 505 recordsdata relative to the media content that is being played by the invehicle entertainment system 12. The data relative to the media contentbeing played includes at least one of the following: vehicleidentification parameters, vehicle position parameters, vehicleoperation parameters, media source identification parameters, listeningparameters, AM/FM radio parameters, SDARS parameters, connected consumerelectronic device parameters, smartphone integration parameters, uniqueidentification parameters, in vehicle entertainment system parameters,vehicle system parameters, content parameters, contextual dataparameters, and advertising parameters. The parameters are outlined inmore detail above.

At step 150, the method further includes the step of providing a firstserver 46 and a data warehouse 48 that is in communication with thefirst server 46.

The method then includes the step in which the MCMS includesinstructions to transmit the data to the first server 46 through thecommunication network 44. The step of transmitting the data to the firstserver may be either through a direct connection or through an indirectconnection through a second server, such as a vehicle manufacturer'sserver. In the direct connection, shown in step 160, the step oftransmitting the data relative to the media content being played to thefirst server 46 and the data warehouse 48 may further include the stepsof storing the data relative to the media content being played on amemory component 18 of the in vehicle entertainment system 12, and thenperiodically transmitting the data relative to the media content to thefirst server 46. Alternatively, a second server 52 is provided at step170 for an indirect connection between the IVE 12 and the first sever 46through the second server 52. In the indirect connection, the step oftransmitting the data relative to the media content being played to afirst server 46 and a data warehouse 48 may further include the steps oftransmitting the data to the second server 52 (either at periodicintervals or in real time) at step 180, and transmitting the data fromthe second server to the first server at step 190.

Whether the direct connection of step 160 or the indirect connection ofsteps 180 and 190 is used, the data is then stored and a database ofdata relative to the media content being played is built in the datawarehouse 48 in step 200.

The exemplary embodiment of the method also includes the step 210 ofprocessing the data received by the first server 46 for each of aplurality of users. At step 220, then the method generates at least onereport based on the data processed, with each report relating to mediaconsumption of one of the users and/or aggregated media consumption ofat least two users.

The reports that are generated in step 220, may additionally, oralternatively, include attribution information that is determined bylocation and timing information that shows the vehicle being at alocation where an advertisers product is available, for example a retailstore. In one embodiment, the report generated in step 220 can be usedto determine the return on investment for an advertiser (or its adagency) on its advertising campaign as well as the advertisingcampaign's overall effectiveness. Ad attribution metrics, including themeasurement of whether consumers engaged in the desired behavior due tohearing or seeing an ad played in a vehicle, is one method ofdetermining the return on investment for an advertiser. Assessingwhether the consumer drove to the advertiser's store or accessed theadvertiser's website due to hearing or seeing an ad utilizing a vehiclesgeographic location is another basis for advertisers and ad agencies tomeasure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. As part of thedisclosed method, the system is capable of determining the geographiclocation and exact time stamp of an ad played on in vehicleentertainment systems, and can be cross referenced with data fromprogramming logs of audio sources such as AM/FM radio stations, internetradio channels and satellite radio channels or metadata. Further, thenumber of store visits generated by a given set of vehicles exposed tothe ad can be compared to visits for vehicles which are not exposed tothe ad. Thus, the system can derive ad effectiveness or an advertisinglift metric. A return on investment of an advertising campaign can becomputed by comparing the cost of the advertising campaign relative tothe number of store visits, and by calculating the total monetary valueof what the vehicle owner or driver actually spent at the store as aresult of the advertising heard in the vehicle. Examining the impact ofadvertising delivered to a vehicle may include, but be limited to: (i)the impact of different ad creative copy, content, ad length and otherad factors on vehicle/consumer behavior (ii) impact on differentdemographic groups of vehicle owners and drivers, (iii) impact based onprior vehicle behavior and advertiser brand preferences, (iv)determining whether an ad was heard or seen in a vehicle, (v) real timeanalysis, tracking and ad delivery, and/or (vi) segmenting vehiclesbased on prior behavior. The impact of advertising can be determined aspart of a separate report or as part of other reports compiled at step220.

The step of processing the data received by the first server can includethe steps of analyzing a respective set of listening habitscorresponding to each user at step 230, and analyzing a set ofsituational listening habits corresponding to one of the userscorresponding to a set of situations at step 240. The reports of step220 can be generated based on the analysis steps 230, 240, or can begenerated from raw data stored in the database. Included in suchanalysis can be the creation of ad attribution information sets, whichmay formatted into industry standard reports, and/or other ad campaignanalytics.

FIG. 5 shows an exemplary embodiment of a method 300 of how a user wouldinteract with the IVE of the exemplary embodiment, with the MCMSoperating to collect contextual data parameters and media metadata. InFIG. 5, a user activates the IVE 12 at step 310. The IVE 12 identifiesthe user at step 320, for example, by the user selecting a user profilein the IVE from a set of stored user profiles. Then at step 330 the IVE12 either automatically plays media for the user, or plays media for theuser in response to a command by the user. The IVE 12 is capable ofplaying audio and/or video for consumption by the user. In response tothe media being played by the IVE, the user modifies the content beingconsumed at step 340. For example, the user can increase the volume whenthe user likes the media being played (e.g. a favorite song beingplayed), decrease the volume when the user likes the media to a lesserextent, or the user can turn the media off when the user dislikes themedia being played. The media content measurement software collectscontextual data relating to the user's consumption behavior in responseto the content being played at step 350. Thus, the media contentmeasurement software collects data regarding for which content the userincreased the volume, for which content the user decreased the volume,and for which content the user turned the media off or switched toanother source. The media content measurement software stores thiscontextual data in the memory component (computer readable storagemedium) 18 of the IVE at step 360.

Simultaneously with the contextual data collection, and simultaneouslywith the step 330 in which the media content is played by the IVE, themedia content measurement software 505 is operable to collect metadatarelated to the content being consumed by the user, by at least one oftwo methods. First, at step 370 the software is operable to collectmetadata related to the content being consumed when metadata is includedin the media signal received by the IVE 12 or stored in the memorycomponent 18 of the IVE 12. Second, at step 380 the software is operableto collect source data relating to the source of the content beingconsumed and the timestamp at which the content was consumed, so thatthe server can match metadata of the audio source with the audio sourcedata.

After the software 505 of the IVE 12 collects the metadata and/or sourcedata, it stores the metadata and/or source data in the memory component(computer readable storage medium) 18 of the IVE 12 at step 390.

Then at step 400 the software 505 instructs the processor to transmitthe contextual data and the metadata and/or source data to the server 46through the communication network 44 via the network interface 42. Theserver 46 stores this data and builds a database of the metadata andcontextual data for each user at step 410. The server 46 includes serversoftware that is operable to process the data received by the server andstored on the server, and the software processes the data received bythe external server at step 420.

Through software supported on the server 46, the server 46 then analyzesthe consumption habits of different users, and analyzes the consumptionhabits of different users in different situations. The server 46 thengenerates reports based on the processed data at step 440.

The present invention also provides a media consumption measurementsystem for measuring and analyzing in car media consumption. Anexemplary embodiment of the media consumption and measurement system(MCMS) is shown at 10 in FIG. 6. The media consumption measurementsystem includes an in vehicle entertainment (IVE) system 12 that ismounted in a vehicle 14. Although shown installed in the vehicle, theIVE system 12 is provided either separately from a vehicle 14 orinstalled on a vehicle 14. The IVE system 12 is operable to selectivelyplay media content, and that has a processor 16 and a memory component18. Media content measurement software 505 is stored on the memorycomponent 18 of the in vehicle entertainment system 10. The mediacontent measurement software 505 is operable by the processor 16 and isconfigured to record data relative to the media content being played, inreal time as the media content is being played.

FIG. 6 shows that the in vehicle entertainment system 12 includes apower supply 20 that is in electrical connection with a processor 16, adisplay 22, and a memory component (a computer readable storage mediumsuch as a hard drive or a solid state drive) 18. The processor is inelectrical connection with the display 22, the memory component 18, aninput/output port (I/O port) 24, operational controls 26, and a randomaccess memory (RAM) component 28. The processor is connected to an audiointerface 30, such as an audio port that is capable of being connectedto a sound system that is provided separately in the vehicle. The soundsystem of the vehicle typically includes an amplifier 32 and a set ofspeakers 34 that are connected. The amplifier 32 can be connected to theaudio interface 30 of the IVE 12.

To receive media from an external source, the IVE 12 includes an I/Oport 24 and the IVE 12 can be connected to transmitters/receivers 36mounted in the vehicle. The I/O port 24 is useful for connecting the IVE12 to a consumer electronic device (CE device) 38. The CE device 38 isan electronic device such as a smartphone, a laptop computer, a tabletcomputer, or another portable electronic device, and is generallyprovided separately by a user of the system. The processor 16 is alsoconfigured to be connected to transmitters and/or receivers 36 forreceiving media from an external source. For example, the IVE 12 can beconnected to an AM radio receiver, an FM radio receiver, an HD radioreceiver, a satellite radio receiver, a GPS receiver, a cellularwireless transmitter, a cellular wireless receiver, or any combinationof these. Other transmitters and/or receivers that are useful forreceiving media to be played on the IVE 12 can be included in otherembodiments, whether now known or developed in the future. FIG. 6 showsthat the transmitters/receivers 36 can be in communication with a thirdparty signal transmitter 40, such as an AM/FM/HD radio transmitter, asatellite radio transmitter, a GPS transmitter, a cellular wirelesstransmitter, or another signal transmitter.

The exemplary embodiment of the media consumption measurement systemfurther includes at least one receiver 36 that is in communication withthe in vehicle entertainment system 12. For example, the mediaconsumption measurement system can include a receiver 36 configured toreceive an AM radio signal and/or a receiver 36 configured to receive anFM radio signal and/or a receiver 36 configured to receive an HD radiosignal and/or a receiver 36 configured to receive a satellite radiosignal and/or a receiver 36 configured to receive a global positioningsignal and/or a receiver 36 configured to receive a cellular wirelesssignal. When media content is received by one of these receivers 36, thein vehicle entertainment system is operable to selectively play thatmedia content.

FIG. 6 also shows that the processor 16 is connected to a networkinterface 42. The network interface 42 of the exemplary embodiment isshown as being an external component that is not part of the IVE 12, butthat is connected to the IVE 12. Other embodiments not shown mayincorporate the network interface into the IVE 12. The network interface42 is useful for connecting the IVE 12 to a communication network 44.Through the communication network 44, the IVE 12 is able to communicatewith the server 46, which is connected to the data warehouse 48, andwhich is operable by a data user 50. The communication network 44 may bea wireless network connection such as a wi-fi network, a cellular phonenetwork, or another network.

The IVE 12 of the media consumption and measurement system 10 collectsthe data for users of that IVE, and the data for respective users ofmultiple IVEs across the system is then sent from the respective IVE 12and directly or indirectly received by a first server 46 that isconfigured to receive the data. A data warehouse 48 is in communicationwith the first server 46, and is configured for storing the data andbuilding a database of the data. The IVE system is configured totransmit the data to the first server.

Where the media consumption measurement system 10 relies on directcommunication between the in vehicle entertainment system 12 and thefirst server 46, the first server 46 is configured to receive datatransmitted from the in vehicle entertainment system 12, the firstserver 46 is configured to transmit the data to the data warehouse 48,and the data warehouse 48 is configured to receive the data from thefirst server 46.

Where the media consumption measurement system 10 relies on indirectcommunication between the in vehicle entertainment system 12 and thefirst server 46, a second server 52 is provided, and the second server52 is in communication with the in vehicle entertainment system 12. Thesecond server 52 is also in communication with the first server 46.Thus, the data can be transmitted from the in vehicle entertainmentsystem 12 to the second server 52 and then to the first server 46.

FIG. 7 shows how an IVE 12 is configured to be in communication with theserver 46 and data warehouse 48 as shown in FIG. 6, and the IVE 12 isconfigured to be in communication with a third party server 52, such asa vehicle manufacturer server. This third party server 52 is configuredto be in communication with the server 12 of FIG. 6. This system 600that relies on the third party server 52 is useful when the contentmeasurement software on the in vehicle entertainment system 12 is partof the vehicle manufacturer's instrumentation software and mediaconsumption data is obtained by the server through communication withthe vehicle manufacturer's server 52. Although FIG. 7 shows threecommunication network cloud-shaped blocks each numbered 44, thesecommunication networks may be the same network or may be differentnetworks.

FIG. 8 shows how the server of FIG. 6 interacts with a plurality of IVEs12A, 12B, 12C in use. FIG. 8 shows a sample scenario in which a firstIVE 12A is installed in a first vehicle (not shown) that is used by afirst individual 13A, a second individual 13B, and a third individual13C; a second IVE 12B is installed on a second vehicle (not shown) thatis used by a fourth individual 13D and a fifth individual 13E; and athird IVE 12C is installed on a third vehicle (not shown) that is usedby a sixth individual 13F. Each IVE 12A, 12B, 12C is configured as theIVE 12 of FIG. 6. Each IVE 12A, 12B, 12C is configured to be incommunication with the server 46 through the communication network 44.The first IVE 12A collects information about the media consumption ofthe first individual 13A, the second individual 13B, and the thirdindividual 13C, and the first IVE 12A then transmits that mediaconsumption data to the server 46. Similarly, the second IVE 12Bcollects information about the media consumption of the fourthindividual 13D and the fifth individual 13E, and transmits thatinformation to the server 46. The third IVE 12C collects informationabout the media consumption habits of the sixth individual 13F andtransmits that information to the server 46. The server 46 is configuredto be in communication with additional IVEs (not shown), although onlythree IVEs are shown in FIG. 6 for simplicity of the example.

As noted above in relation to the method, the data relative to the mediacontent being played by the IVE 12 of the system 10 includes at leastone of the following: vehicle identification parameters, vehicleposition parameters, vehicle operation parameters, media sourceidentification parameters, listening parameters, AM/FM radio parameters,SDARS parameters, connected consumer electronic device parameters,smartphone integration parameters, unique identification parameters, invehicle entertainment system parameters, vehicle system parameters,content parameters, contextual data parameters, and advertisingparameters. The parameters are outlined in more detail above.

In the exemplary embodiment, the first server 46 is configured toprocess the data received by the first server 46, and the first server46 is configured to generate reports based on the data processed. Forthis purpose, the first server 46 is provided as a general purposeserver, such as a server that includes a server processor, a servermemory storage device, a server power supply, and other components.Servers capable of supporting software and hardware for carrying out thesteps performed by the server in the present invention are known the inart.

It should be noted that the present invention is described and shown inconnection with the monitoring and analysis of cross channel consumptionin a vehicle but it should be understood the present invention hasapplicability in any environment or location.

It would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changesand modifications can be made to the illustrated embodiments withoutdeparting from the spirit of the present invention. All suchmodifications and changes are intended to be covered by the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for measuring and analyzing in car mediaconsumption through an in vehicle entertainment system, the methodcomprising steps of: providing a vehicle; providing the in vehicleentertainment system as a head unit located in the vehicle configuredand arranged to play media content; providing a computing device in thehead unit with storage, a display, operation controls, a microprocessor,a memory component, I/O inputs and outputs and an operating systeminstalled and running thereon; providing media content measurementsoftware stored in the storage of the head unit as a module on the invehicle entertainment system; receiving the media content through the invehicle entertainment system; monitoring both the media content and userinteraction with the vehicle in response to the media content, with themodule on the computing device, as the media content is played by the invehicle entertainment system, wherein the media content includesadvertising content; the media content measurement software directlyrecording data relative to the media content being played, in real time,wherein the data includes the advertising content of the media contentbeing played and the user interaction with the vehicle in response tothe advertising content; providing a first server and a data repository;transmitting the data relative to the media content being played to thefirst server and the data repository; and storing the data and buildinga database of the data relative to the media content being played in thedata repository; processing the data received by the first server for atleast one user; generating a report, based on the data, relating to theuser interaction, wherein the user interaction includes a user drivingto a store which was advertised on the media content and location dataof the vehicle; and determining an advertising impact of the advertisingcontent from the report.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the datarelative to the media content being played additionally comprises atleast one of: vehicle identification parameters, vehicle positionparameters, vehicle operation parameters, time parameters, media sourceidentification parameters, listening parameters, AM/FM radio parameters,SDARS parameters, connected consumer electronic device parameters,smartphone integration parameters, unique identification parameters, invehicle entertainment system parameters, vehicle system parameters,content parameters, contextual data parameters, and advertisingparameters.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of processingrespective data received by the first server further comprises steps of:analyzing an amount of money spent at the store corresponding to the atleast one user; and comparing a cost of the advertising content with theamount of money spent at the store as a result of the advertisingcontent heard through the in vehicle entertainment system.
 4. The methodof claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the data relative to themedia content being played to the first server and the data repositoryfurther comprises steps of: storing the data relative to the mediacontent being played on a memory component of the in vehicleentertainment system; and periodically transmitting the data relative tothe media content to the first server.
 5. The method of claim 1, whereinthe step of transmitting the data relative to the media content beingplayed to the first server and the data repository further comprises:providing a second server; transmitting the data to the second server;transmitting the data from the second server to the first server.
 6. Themethod of claim 5, wherein time and frequency of the step ofperiodically transmitting the data relative to the media content to thefirst server is configurable.
 7. A media consumption measurement systemfor measuring and analyzing in car media consumption, the systemcomprising: a vehicle; an in vehicle entertainment system configured asa head unit in the vehicle, the head unit including a computing devicewith storage, a display, operation controls, a microprocessor, a memorycomponent, I/O inputs and an operating system, the in vehicleentertainment system being operable to selectively receive mediacontent; media content measurement software stored on the memorycomponent of the in vehicle entertainment system as a module, the mediacontent measurement software being operable by the processor and beingconfigured to directly record data relative to the media content,including advertising content, being played, in real time, wherein thedata includes the advertising content being played and a userinteraction with the vehicle in response to the advertising content, asthe media content is played; the module being configured and arrangedfor monitoring the media content and the user interaction with thevehicle in response to the media content, with the computing device, asthe media content is played by the in vehicle entertainment system; afirst server configured to receive the data; a data repository incommunication with the first server, the data repository beingconfigured for storing the data and building a database of the data;wherein the in vehicle entertainment system is configured to transmitthe data to the first server to generate a report, based on the data,relating to the user interaction, wherein the user interaction includesa user driving to a store which was advertised on the media content andlocation data of the vehicle; and wherein an advertising impact of theadvertising content is determined from the report.
 8. The mediaconsumption measurement system of claim 7, wherein the first server isconfigured to receive the data from the in-vehicle entertainment system;and wherein the first server is configured to transmit said data to thedata repository, and the data repository is configured to receive saiddata from the first server.
 9. The media consumption measurement systemof claim 7, further comprising: a second server in communication withthe in-vehicle entertainment system, the second server being incommunication with the first server, wherein the data can be transmittedfrom the in-vehicle entertainment system to the second server and thento the first server.
 10. The media consumption measurement system ofclaim 7, wherein the first server is configured to process the datareceived by the first server; and wherein the first server is configuredto generate reports based on the data processed.
 11. The mediaconsumption measurement system of claim 7, wherein the data relative tothe media content being played additionally comprises at least one of:vehicle identification parameters, vehicle position parameters, vehicleoperation parameters, time parameters, media source identificationparameters, listening parameters, AM/FM radio parameters, SDARSparameters, connected consumer electronic device parameters, smartphoneintegration parameters, unique identification parameters, in vehicleentertainment system parameters, vehicle system parameters, contentparameters, contextual data parameters, and advertising parameters. 12.The media consumption measurement system of claim 7, further comprising:at least one receiver in communication with the in vehicle entertainmentsystem, the at least one receiver being configured to receive at leastone of: an AM radio signal, an FM radio signal, an HD radio signal, asatellite radio signal, a global positioning signal, and a cellularwireless signal; wherein the in vehicle entertainment system is operableto selectively play media content received by the at least one receiver.13. The media consumption measurement system of claim 7, furthercomprising: at least one input port configured to receive a signal froma peripheral device, the at least one input port being in communicationwith the in-vehicle entertainment system; wherein the in-vehicleentertainment system is operable to selectively play media contentreceived by the at least one input port.
 14. A method for measuring andanalyzing in car advertising consumption through an in vehicleentertainment system, the method comprising steps of: receivingmonitored advertising content data, the advertising content dataincluding advertisement content played through the in vehicleentertainment system, the in vehicle entertainment system is a head unitlocated in a vehicle, the head unit comprising a computing device whichincludes storage, a display, operation controls, a microprocessor, amemory component, I/O inputs and outputs, an operating system installedand running thereon, and media content measurement software stored inthe storage of the head unit as a module on the in vehicle entertainmentsystem, and receiving monitored user response data, wherein the userresponse data includes user response to the advertisement content, boththe advertising content data and the user response data are monitoredwith the module on the computing device as the advertisement content isplayed by the in vehicle entertainment system; receiving data that isrecorded, in real time, directly by the media content measurementsoftware, wherein the data includes the advertisement content data andthe user response includes geographic location history of the vehicleincluding a user driving to a store which was advertised in theadvertisement content and an amount of money the user spends at thestore; storing the data in a data repository; processing the receiveddata for at least one user; generating an advertising report, based onthe data, relating to the user response; and determining an advertisingimpact from the advertising report.
 15. The method of claim 14, whereinthe advertising report is based on a plurality of user responses by aplurality of users.
 16. The method of claim 14, further comprising,receiving the geographic location history of the vehicle as locationdata, the location data including route information of the vehicle'sdrive to the store at a time the advertisement content is being playedand when the advertisement content was not played; and comparing anumber of visits to the store when the advertisement content is playedand when the advertisement content is not played.
 17. The method ofclaim 14, further comprising, measuring a time period from when theadvertisement content is played to when the vehicle's location matches alocation of a store advertising in the advertisement content.
 18. Themethod of claim 17, wherein the processing step further includesprocessing the time period from the measuring step with the recordeddata.
 19. The method of claim 14, wherein the receiving data stepfurther includes receiving an exact time stamp of when the advertisementcontent is played.
 20. The method of claim 19 further comprising,comparing the exact time stamp with data from programming logs of audiosources.